“I’m too busy to do anything else right now.”
QUESTION: “If the money was right could you find the time?” or “Would it be worth 30 minutes to find out what you’re turning down?”
RESPONSE: “I know you’re too busy, that’s why I called you.” or “Would it be worth prioritizing your time for what’s important to you?” or “With your contacts and my time and experience, I think we can make some money together.”
“I wouldn’t be interested.”
QUESTION: “How do you mean?” or “What part are you not interested in?” or “You wouldn’t be interested in _________ (their dream)?!?”
RESPONSE: “That’s too bad; I hate to see you miss out on something this big.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: It’s impossible for someone not to be interested in something he hasn’t even seen, so if he brings this objection up before he’s seen the plan, it’s most-likely a smoke- screen. A smoke-screen is someone’s way of avoiding the real issue, which could be any number of things. He may not trust you, he may have come to some conclusion about the business based on your approach, he may not have a compelling reason to look at a business idea, etc. Whether he’s seen the business plan or not, you’ll need to find out more. What is it he’s not interested in? With more specific information, you can then find a way to handle that objection by referring to the appropriate responses in this book.
“I’ve seen this before.”
QUESTION: “What did you see?” or “Really? Tell me about it.”
RESPONSE: “I had too. But I never saw it with the professional and profitable approach our team had with this industry.” or “If you haven’t seen it from me, you haven’t seen it.” or “You may have seen something like it. But if you saw what we’re doing you’d be involved.”
“I’m not good at sales.” or “I don’t like sales.”
QUESTION: “What are you good at?” or “What do you like to do?” or “What is it about sales you don’t like or feel that you’re not good at?”
RESPONSE: “Great, that would be your first advantage.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: The thought of having to “sell” turns many people off because they have a negative impression of sales due to past experiences with untrained, needy sales people. You can relieve these fears by finding out what the person you’re working with likes to do and associating that to what she would be doing in the business. If she likes to teach, we’re educating people. If she enjoys friendship and community, we’re making new friends. You can also emphasize the fact that we work together in teams where there is a place for everyone’s unique abilities.
“I can’t afford it right now.”
QUESTION: “If you could afford it, would you get started right now?” or “When will you be able to afford it?” or “Why don’t we start your training and you can save up the money to get started?”
RESPONSE: “You don’t have to be registered to start learning about the business. If you think this is something you’d like to do, why don’t we show the program to a couple of your friends? Let’s take the business for a test-drive and you can get registered later.” or “You’ve been working ______ years and you don’t have $ _______ to your name? Don’t you think it’s time to change that?”
FURTHER THOUGHT: Let’s face it, we always seem to find the money to do the things we want or to handle the emergencies of life. When we get a flat tire or when the fridge stops working, we figure out a way to fix it. So if someone’s financial vehicle is broken, why wouldn’t he do the same? What this person is really saying is that he doesn’t have enough belief in his ability to succeed in the business to rearrange his financial priorities. By giving him a chance to test- drive the business, you can help increase his belief and he’ll find the money.
“My spouse isn’t interested.”
QUESTION: “Are you interested?” or “If your spouse chose not to be involved, would you still be interested?” or “Would she support you if you chose to be involved?”
RESPONSE: “Why don’t you communicate your intentions and ask her to support you?” or “Let’s show her the business plan so she can make an informed decision.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: To avoid this objection altogether, show the plan to both spouses at the same time. Every couple has relationship issues that come into play when making decisions so it’s best that you, not a spouse, provide the information and handle the questions and objections that arise.
“I talked to a few of my friends and they’re not interested.”
QUESTION: “What is it they weren’t interested in?” or “Does that change your desire to want to achieve your dreams?”
RESPONSE: “Tell me about your conversation.” or “Of course not, you haven’t been coached properly on how to talk people about this business.”
“I don’t know enough people.”
QUESTION: “How many people do you think you’d need to know to have success?” or “If we could show you a way to find enough people, would you want this business to work for you?”
RESPONSE: “You can have great success with as few as three or four people who are interested.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: This objection may mean one of several things. They may be prejudging the people they do know and what they really mean is, “I don’t know enough people who would be interested.” Or they may mean, “I’m uncomfortable about talking to people and am not willing to talk to enough people.” Or, they may in fact know very few people. In either case, ensure them that their support team is committed to their success and prepared to walk them through the proven process of making a list and finding those who are interested.
“I don’t know if I could do this.”
QUESTION: “What is it you’re unsure of?”
RESPONSE: “I don’t know if you could either. Are you teachable? Are you motivated? Are you willing to work for what you want? If you are, then I’ll help you. I think we could make a lot of money together.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: Although we need to find out specifically what it is they feel they couldn’t do, this objection typically boils down to a lack of belief in their ability. We want to encourage this person and let them know that anyone who is willing to learn can do this. Infuse them with your belief by making “I think” statements, getting them involved in the system, and producing results.
“I knew someone who did this and they never made any money.”
QUESTION: “Really? Tell me about it.”
RESPONSE: “Yeah, me too. People quit things all the time and make all kinds of excuses to justify their laziness or their lack of desire and drive. Are you like that?”
“Do I have to go to all the meetings?”
QUESTION: “What are you looking to accomplish?” or “Do you feel you could train your business community without the meetings?”
RESPONSE: “Depends on what you want to achieve.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: This person doesn’t understand the value of the meetings yet because she has never had to train a community of business owners. As her business grows, however, she will begin to understand that the meetings are an efficient, timesaving way to connect with people on her team and set up meetings to work depth. Once she realizes how fun, exciting, and meaningful the meetings are, her perspective will change.
“Do I have to buy my own tools?”
QUESTION: “Do you want to buy them?”
RESPONSE: “I could loan you the tools that I’ve purchased and then as your business gets going, you could loan 10, 30, or 50 people the tools you’ve purchased and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, or we could just all buy our own. Which makes better sense to you?”
FURTHER THOUGHT: It’s one thing to loan out a few of your materials to someone new, but if you’re supplying your IBOs with the tools they need to build their business, you’re going to be worried about the cost of starting a new group. Not only that, when you give people tools, they won’t appreciate them or take care of them as well as they would if they had to purchase them themselves.
“What are my odds of making it in this business?”
QUESTION: “What are your odds of making it without it?”
RESPONSE: “Your chances of success are the same for everyone starting this business. It’s a level playing field. Your odds of success are directly related to your efforts and willingness to learn.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: The person asking you this question is really asking you to tell him that you think he can do it. He’s looking for encouragement, not a statistical analysis of the law of averages. In reality, odds have nothing to do with his success because his actions and decisions are not up to chance.
“It seems like the percentage of people who make it is very low.”
QUESTION: “What do you mean?” or “Why does that concern you?”
RESPONSE: Our business is structured in a way that allows everyone to do a little bit of volume, rather than a lot. In other words, if everyone is doing 100 points of volume, then for every person who achieves the level of Platinum, or 7500 points, there are 74 people who are still below the platinum level (you + 74 = 75). Divide 1 (platinum) by 75 (total people in the group) and you end up with 1.3%. Now add to that the fact that the figures are calculated based on “active” IBOs who, the corporation defines as an IBO who attempted to make a retail sale, present a business plan, or who attended a meeting or received bonus money; any one of the above. Success in the business requires much more than one attempt at anything; nevertheless, these “active” IBOs lower the averages significantly. Now, if we changed the business structure to where fewer people did more volume each, say 3000 points, then you would only need 2 people besides yourself to go platinum. Divide 1 by 3 and you get 33%, which perhaps would be a more credible percentage to someone who doesn’t understand how our business works.
“Do I have to purchase 100 points of products every month?”
QUESTION: “Do you want a bonus check every month?” or “What do you want your team to duplicate?”
RESPONSE: When you become an IBO you benefit from purchasing the products you use regularly. There is no minimum and or maximum required each month. However, when you, or your customers collectively purchase 100 points of volume, you validate the compensation plan and receive a bonus check.
FURTHER THOUGHT: The person asking this question may have a concern about being forced to purchase unneeded products. Assure them that we’re not looking for people to stock up on unnecessary products; we’re looking for people to change the source of the products that they already use on a regular basis. Additionally, Quixtar® exclusive products have a 100% money back guarantee and are also backed by a corporate buy-back rule.
“I’ve always shopped at Costco, how does this business compare?”
QUESTION: “Does Costco® offer its shoppers the opportunity to be an equity partner?”
RESPONSE: It’s tough to compare two companies in separate industries. Costco®, the corporation, profits from the consumer’s purchases. In our business, we, the consumers, profit from our purchases.
“This would be a conflict of interest with my employer.”
QUESTION: “How would this be a conflict?”
RESPONSE: “Let’s find out which portion of the business is in conflict and find a way to work around it.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: There is no doubt that some of the activities in our business could be a conflict of interest for people. Determine first if this person is looking for a solution or using this objection as an excuse. If they are sincerely looking for a solution, you can suggest putting the business in their spouse’s name or refraining from business activity during working hours. There are some cases, however, where an employer will say that an employee is not allowed to pursue a secondary income because it is a conflict of interest. For an employer to take charge of all the things in your life – that’s bold. They are forcing you to agree that for the fixed amount of money they give you, they control you seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. They actually top you out, max you out, and make you sign your life away – and you’re okay with that? What does the future hold for you if you are capped and controlled?
“I saw/read/heard this negative media piece on the business…”
QUESTION: “Tell me about what you saw/read/heard.” or “Do you feel that what you saw/read/heard was a fair assessment of the business?” or “Did what you read/see/hear resemble what you’ve experienced?”
RESPONSE: “There are many perspectives on any issue. I think the perspective shared by hundreds of thousands of satisfied Independent Business Owners is the most compelling. I believe that you, like myself, want assurance that this business is legal, moral, ethical, and authentic. And I can, with 100% of me, say that this is a good, true, and moral endeavor. Our business system promotes men and women of integrity and character, strong families, and of course building responsible finances. I can share this opportunity with anyone and know that the business performs just as it is explained, “build a community of on-line shoppers and you will be paid for your volume.”
FURTHER THOUGHT: Unfortunately, much of today’s media is based on sensationalism, rather than accurate, unbiased information. Television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and other media companies are in the business of creating sensational stories that increase ratings/subscriptions in order to sell advertising. And since MLM Company A® is a word of mouth business that does not purchase advertising, it becomes an easy target. It is also common for companies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to take down their competitors, and it has been proven that some of our competitors have underhandedly done so. Directing people to the web sites www.thisbiznow.com and ww.mlmcompanyafacts.com, and/or handing them “The Facts About MLM Company A®” DVD will help dispel this type of criticism.
“I heard that the leaders make all their money from the training materials.”
QUESTION: “Where did you hear that?” or “Have you ever looked at the MLM Company A® Bonus and Incentives brochure?”
RESPONSE: “There may be leaders out there who make a large portion of their income from the training materials, but they are the rare exception. And you’ll find that happens in any industry where there are experts who, after having established their credibility through performance, will go on to make more from teaching than what they originally did. But bottom line, everyone is paid by MLM Company A® based on performance. And the cash bonuses and incentives available to each and every one of us is clearly outlined in their literature. You earn it, you get it, and you can take that to the bank. So why don’t we focus on which bonuses you’d like to earn this year?”
FURTHER THOUGHT: It’s important that we find out from this person what their concern is first. If they are concerned that there is no income to be made in this business, other than tool income, then the response provided above should ensure them that there is a significant amount of income available to them as clearly outlined in Quixtar’s literature. If, on the other hand, their concern is that they will be forced to purchase overpriced tools, you can reassure them that our training system is effective, comparatively priced, and optional. While it is highly recommended, as is training as a real estate agent, insurance agent, etc., it remains the IBO’s choice whether to participate or not.
No matter how well you handle questions and objections, not everyone will get in your business. If they don’t, their dream and their commitment are not as strong as yours. And that’s okay. All you need is six people and they are out there waiting for you. Learn what you can from each experience, practice, get better, and go out there and find those six!